Collapsible box or can.



No. 843,684. I PATENTE'D FEB.12, 1907.

W. 0. MARSHALL.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOX 0R CAN.

APPLICATION FILED JULYG. 1905.

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N. 4. PATENTBD FEB.12 1907.

0 84368 w. c. MARSHALL.

GOLLAPSIBLB BOX 0R CAN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1905.

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BISCUIT COMPANY, NEW JERSEY.

OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF GOLLAPSIBLE BOX OR CAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed July 6,1905. Serial No. 268,442.

1'0 a/M 'w/mmit may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. MARSHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boxes or Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a knockdown box, and is especially applicable to transportation and display boxes for bakers products, though by no means limited to such use. It involves not only a construction of box which permits of its collapse into small space, but also includes an improved form of boxfront for displaying the contents and at the same time rendering convenient access to the interior of the box.

In order to secure a low freight rate for the transportation of empty cans such as are used for crackers, biscuits, and the like and to prevent the breakage of the glass fronts used in connection with such cans, I have devised a knockdown box or can which is provided with a thin wooden or any other cheap front when the can is in transit, the same to be replaced by a glass display-front by the grocer when the can is received. If desired, however, the display-front may be returned with the box or can in its collapsed condition and used when the can is shipped with its contents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation of the box or can with the front and back pieces removed. Fig. 2 is a section of the device shown in Fig. 1 on the line 2 2 and shows the wooden back and front in place. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing the method of securing the guides to the front edges of the box. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the box with the display-front in place. Fig. 5 is a section of the box shown in Fig. 4 on the line 5 5 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the box with the displayfront in place. Fig. 7 is a sectionof the box shown in Fig. 6 on the line 7 7 looking in the direction" of the arrows, and Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the hooked interlocking means formed on the side members of the box.

The box-body (illustrated in Fig. 1) consists of two L-shaped pieces 10 and 13, the piece 10 comprising the two sides of the box 11 and 12, one edge of each of which is pro- -the goods may be vided with hook-shaped engaging means 12*, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the sides themselves being bent to form the hooks. The piece 13 is similar to the piece 10 and comprises the two sides 14 and 15, also provided with hooked engaging means 15 and interlocking with those on the sides 11 and 12. Guides 20, 21, and 22 on one side of the box and similar guides 23, 24, and 25 on the opposite side are attached to the sides 15, 12, and 14, respectively, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, which shows the guide 23 attached to the side 15 by the integral extension 15 of the latter bent over one lip 23 of the guide. The other guide-pieces are attached to the sides in a similar manner, being soldered in place, if necessary.

In Fig. 2 is shown the box with wooden plates 26 and 27 slipped in the guideways. The box with its contents is transported in this condition, and when the grocer receives it he removes one of the plates or boards 26 or 27 and inserts in its place the displayfront comprising the two parts 30 and 40, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4. The lower part 30 of the front is slid downward in .the guides; but the upper part 40, which is hinged to the lower part, as at 46, remains outside of the guideways and overlaps their edges by means of the flanges 47, Fig. 6, forming a part of the upper portion 40. The upper member thus forms a lid or door, by opening which removed from the box. The lower portion 30 of the front is provided with a panel-opening 31, over which may be placed the glass plate 32 for the purpose of displaying the contents of the box. The glass plate is held in place by the guides 33, 34, 35, 36, and 37, the latter two of which may be easily bent, so as to allow the removal of the glass plate, if desired. The upper portion of the front 40 is also provided with a paneled opening 41, back of which may be placed a display-card or namelate 42, held in place by means of the guides 43, 44, and 45. The door 40 has at its upper part the spring-latch 48, cooperating with the catch 49, secured to the top side of the box, and by this means the door may be held closed.

To take the box apart, so that it may be shipped in collapsed condition, the front 30, with the attached door 40, is removed from the guideways by sliding upward, and then the two L-shaped portions 10 and 13 are separated from each other by sliding the one on the other and in this manner disengaging the hook-shaped interlocking means described above. The L-shaped pieces of any number of boxes may then be nested in an obvious manner, so as to occupy a small space when returned to be again filled.

It is to be understood that the construction of my boX may be varied in many of its details without departing from the substance of the invention as defined by the following claims. Such a can or box is not limited to use for bakers products, although it is more particularly designed for that purpose.

I claim 1. A knockdown box comprising two L- shaped pieces forming the sides of the box and an open front, each piece being provided on two edges with disengageable interlocking means having a sliding engagement with each other, a guideway on the open front, and a removable box-front having one portion fitting in said guideway, and a second portion hinged to the first portion and fitting over the guideway when in closed position, substantially as described.

2. A knockdown box comprising a plurality of pieces forming the sides of the boX and an open front, each piece being provided on two edges with disengageable interlocking means, a guideway formed on the front of said box, and a two-piece box-front having the lower piece fitting in said guideway and the upper portion hinged to the lower portion and fitting over the guideway when in closed position, substantially as described.

3. A box-body provided with a guideway, in combination with a box-front having one portion fitting in said guideway and another portion fitting over said guideway and lying substantially in the same plane with said first-named portion when in closed position, substantially as described.

4. A box-body provided with a guideway, in combination with a removable box-front comprising two paneled portions hinged together, one of said transparent panel-covering to display the goods, and the other containing a nameplate, substantially as described.

5. A box-body provided with a guideway, in combination with a removable box-front comprising upper and lower paneled portions hinged together, the upper of said portions containing a name-plate, and the lower a transparent panel-covering adapted to display the goods, substantially as described.

WILLIAM C. MARSHALL.

Witnesses:

RoY E. TOMLINSON, F. A. WILLARD.

portions containing a 

